Gilroys Theory

Paul Gilroy's Representation theory is the idea that colonialism from the 1500s-1900s still exists/is present in the media. People from ethnic minorities being dehumanised and the idea of "other". Other meaning seen as abnormal and strange by the majority.

Definition from OCR:

- The African diaspora caused by the Slave trade has now constructed a transatlantic culture that is simultaneously African, American, Caribbean and British - the 'Black Atlantic'.

- Britain has failed to mourn its loss of empire, creating 'postcolonial melancholia', an attachment to an airbrushed version of British colonial history, which expresses itself in criminalising immigrants and an 'us and them' approach to the world founded on the belief in the inherent superiority of white western civilisation.


Applying the Theory to News and LFTVD:

News - In both Tabloids and Broadsheets ethnicity is commonly portrayed in a different way to how current society expectations/judgements would prefer, however opposing colonialism eras, the current way these ethnic minorities are portrayed is now more relevant to the nationality and political ideologies of the subject rather than their skin colour.
Due to the content that newspapers are producing being overseen by mostly older white males, culture and ethnic origin is still partially portrayed using post colonial stereotypes within the stories and the entire paper itself - allowing Gilroy's theory to be successfully applied.


LFTVD - Both Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 contain examples of ethnic diversity, however the two shows feature a heavy cast of white actors doubting the idea that the show is racially diverse. This is most likely due to the way in which the narrative in the shows due to the current era that the stories are set in with large numbers of ethnic inequality happening in the 1980's.
ST character Lucas is one of the only representations of how ST is racially diverse - linking to Gilroy's theory, as Lucas is a part of the group of young teenagers that act differently within the setting. Lucas, who is black, is addressed by the name 'Midnight' by bullies at the school. This is discriminating and makes him feel like a minority which links to Gilroy's theory. However, the other 3 boys in his friendship group are also attacked verbally and physically, providing an idea of cross discrimination throughout the narrative.
In D83, American General Jackson is the only true ethnic representation the audience are shown. Due to Jackson's powerful status in the army and the story, Gilroy's theory doesn't really fit here than in ST - however the verisimilitude of this situation is accurate as Germany in the 1980s was lacking in ethnic diversity.

Advertising revision

Charity:

• Trying to educate
• Trying to help
• Trying to gain donations

Lucozade:

• Trying to sell the product
• Using cover star
• Gerbner- Cultivation theory

Music Video revision

When analysing the videos:

• DRCAGES- Back up with language- Camera, editing and sound
• 4 Main points and use correct names for shots, transitions, etc.
• Polysemic- Lots of different ways of reading something

News Revision

• The Independent is online only
• Use CLIFT- Colour, Layout, Image, Font, Text
• Revise Guardian and Daily Mail- Who runs it, circulation, distribution
• Theoretical framework- LIAR- Language, Industry, Audience, Representation  
• Guardian- Become member, subscribe
• Daily Mail allows you to either be shown news or entertainment news
• Daily Mail bombards you with soft news with little amounts of hard news
• Masthead, Cover Stars, Puff-Tells you to look inside, Anchorage text, plug-other stories on the side and skyline

Quick Revision

Film

1967

• Production
• Distribution
• Circulation
• Technology

2016

• Production
• Distribution
• Circulation
• Technology

Radio

• Public Service Broadcaster- Inform, Educate and Entertain
• New artists, smaller artists and lots of British artists. E.g. Ed Sheeran, Stormzy
• BBC Sounds- Online
• Website to promote and share on social media such as: Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
• YouTube consists of lots of celebrities in the videos.
• People pay a license fee for BBC
• Format of the show- news, competitions, celebrity and music
• Always has to be upbeat
• Listening figures have decreased after the summer- measured by Rajar
• They did a viral campaign were Greg James was hiding and people wanted to know where he went
• Radio 1 Big Weekend in Dundee 2020- Harry Styles, Camilla Cabello and Dua Lipa
• Janslam every day in January gave away a prize.
• Big Weekend brings people all over together
• Radio 1 attracts big stars and wants to target audience internationally
• Challenge adult audiences whilst attracting teens
• BBC work for you
• Doesn't rely on commercial adverts
• 6.58 million subs on YouTube
• 1.6 million on Twitter
• 1 million on Instagram
• Greg James broadcasts weekdays Monday- Thursday from 6:30-10 am
• A List get 25 plays, B List gets 15 and C List is 8
• Brit List which helps push featured new British artists
• DAB Radio
• 10 million listeners weekly

Examples

• Use of British Music
• How it promotes British Music
• Celebrity Interviews
• News Items
• Quizzes and Games
• How its different from other shows

Exam practice question rewrite

Explain why popular music radio programmes struggle to gain recognition as Public Service Broadcasting. Refer to The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show to support your answer.

In your answer you must also:

·      Explain how political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of popular music radio programming.

I do not necessarily agree with the statement in question 1 that popular music radio programmes struggle to gain recognition as Public Service Broadcasting. The Radio 1 Breakfast Show provides for its under 30 adult audience a diverse and varied selection of content, although it does focus on popular music Radio 1 is branded the nation’s favourite station and historically has had popular music at the heart of its public service remit.

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James celebrated its 52^nd Anniversary in 2017. For fifty years BBC Radio 1 has encouraged British Music to be its main focus however, it has diverted into playing other big name artists from other countries, breaking some of the biggest and most important acts of all time and throwing its support behind talented artists regardless of genre, from rock and pop to dance and grime.

According to the BBC Trust website, the remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29-year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers. This remit remains part of the public service remit set up by Lord Reith in 1927 and still holds today- to inform, educate and entertain. Operating under this remit, the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show is funded by the licence fee which gives BBC popular music radio programmes more scope and range in terms of content and access to ‘star’ guests. It also gives it more options for modes of distribution, for example, via livestreaming and podcasts on iPlayer radio, iPlayer on TV, BBC Sounds app and website along with other extra content on digital stations and more outside broadcasts and events. The content of the BBC can be streamed via the internet or you can download multiple episodes of first run series via the BBC iPlayer Radio app. For example, the podcast which features the best bits from Greg James’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show is released every week on a Friday featuring the funniest stuff and highlights from celebrity guests, such as, Stormzy and Sam Smith. This service is provided for free under the licence fee and is set up as a subscription.

Despite this expanding provision of service, the Radio 1 Breakfast Show has come under criticism for its falling number of listeners. According to Rajar it has affected the programmes status by seeing audiences drop to just over 5 million listeners, which is the lowest audience for nearly twenty years. (This may be seen as an example of how The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James is losing its popular appeal especially in justification of the BBC licence fee payment).

According to the BBC Radio academy website, though, it’s still the number one discovery place for musicians such as the Arctic Monkeys, and it explains that the internet has changed the way the music industry works forever but radio is still at the heart of it- radio is as important as ever. In today’s segmented ‘listening’ market, successful programme managers must already know their target audience and the brand values of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James. These should attract and hold their attention, through its energetic style and popular content, including the music and celebrity culture it promotes through the presenter Greg James, who is the voice of the show. This is clearly illustrated by the content of the show on the 27^th January; there is the popular feature called unpopular opinions where the public and stars discuss various topics with Greg James.

According to Radio 1’s controller Ben Cooper, Radio 1 is evolving with its young audiences as we live through changing times for traditional radio. There have been record figures for Radio 1 videos on YouTube with 1.4 billion total views on Radio 1’s YouTube channel. Although traditional radio audience ratings show a gradual decline in listeners, online media has raised the profile of BBC Radio 1 and the Breakfast Show in a different way- meeting the needs of a young digital- savvy online audience by talking about certain topics that are trending online.

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show also contains in its running order regular news reports in the form of Newsbeat. The broadcast on 27^th January begins with the news and targets its news in both style and content at young audiences, this is evident in the selection and register of the information provided and the tone of the news presenters when reporting on certain topics. If it’s something sad or serious they sound very strong spoken and clear to ensure all information is passed but anything silly or happy then they are a lot more softly spoken. This style and content of news aimed at young audiences is also embedded in the presentation of news on the Newsbeat website. Traditionally news is not targeted at younger audiences and has often been packaged for adults, especially with scheduled breakfast shows. Newsbeat packages news aimed at the under 30’s- fulfilling the remit of providing information in the public sphere for young people and genuinely, I believe involving them as citizens.

In summary the Radio 1 Breakfast Show does have popular music at the heart of its broadcast, and this is evident in the diverse and global music policy that it has. On the 27 January broadcast, approximately 60% of the playlist was music by British artists or bands and the genre of music included pop, grime, indie rock and dance music from both British and International artists. Furthermore, in February the show promotes and covers the Brit Awards and September is the Live Lounge music month. Politically this may be seen as a waste of the taxpayer’s money, but it is in line with the very principles of how Radio 1 formed over 50 years ago, using popular music to appeal to a wider audience. This ethos is promoted by the Radio 1 Jam slam and Big Weekend bringing in acts such as Stormzy. The BBC is misunderstood if the fee-paying public believes the BBC is simply about popular music- at the heart of its revised remit is the commitment to bring diversity and cultural creativity in its music to represent all communities in the UK and promote British nationality on a global scale. The licence fee and the principles of public service broadcasting are the foundation which protects BBC Radio 1 and the Breakfast Show from the commercial pressures and influence of ownership in independent radio. (The biggest challenge that the Radio 1 Breakfast Show faced was how to keep a media savvy under- 30 audience in a technologically changing online media environment- one that I think it has achieved.)

Gender Theorists

Van Zoonen

• Patriarchy- Power of Men

Judith Butler

• Performativity- Perform your gender

Bell Hooks

• Power

Bandura Effect theory

Effect theory:

• The media has an immediate effect on our behaviours
• Hypodermic syringe model
• Particularly used in arguments for censorship

News

Useful

• Moral panic (coronavirus, asteroid)
• Can work with younger, vulnerable audiences (less educated)
• Useful when looking at advertising articles

Not useful

• Only have effect on very impressionable people- the immediate effect is rare
• Long term exposure is much more applicable- Gerbner

LFTVD

Useful

• Moving image has greater impression that text
• LFTVD has the option of bingeing- when you binge, the effect will be greater
• D83 presents different take on historical events which can make an impression on audience fast
• Characters make impression on audience- aspirational

Not useful

• LFTVD is not real- drama, not truth
• News has loyalty- Tv drama is not the same- you dilute the chance of it affecting you
• Tv drama is not trying to have an immediate effect. Entertain, not inform. They don't need moral panic

Exam cheat sheet

What is in each exam:

Paper 1:

Question 1- 17 mins

• Media language theories
• Representation theories
• Technical language to describe newspapers
• Recognise stereotypes and representation 

Question 2- 25 mins

• Differences between and genre traits of tabloid and broadsheet papers
• Media language used in tabloid and broadsheet papers

Question 3- 17 mins

• Political context of newspaper production (Daily Mail and Guardian)
• Social context of newspaper productions (DM and G)
• Economic/ business contexts of newspaper production (DM and G)
• Front covers of DM and G and have basic knowledge of stories inside
• Regulation of newspapers

Question 4- 17 mins

• Audience theories
• Media industries theories

Question 5- 17 mins

• Representation in Titanium and Stop where you are
• Representation in set Big Issue cover 
• Representation in set advertisements 

Question 6- 25 mins

• How music videos can be intertextual and how the set texts are
• How adverts can be intertextual
• How magazine covers can be intertextual
• How the contexts of production influence the music videos
• How the contexts of production influence the adverts
• How the contexts of production influence the magazine covers

Paper 2:

Question 1- 25 mins

• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of popular music radio programming (Radio 1 Breakfast show)
• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the promotion of the Jungle Book films
• Political, cultural and economic contexts influence the status of Minecraft within the video games industry

Question 2- 25 mins

• How films are produced, distributed and consumed with reference to the Jungle Book films
• How popular music radio is produced, distributed and consumed with reference to the Radio 1 Breakfast Show
• How video games are produced, distributed and consumed with reference to Minecraft

Question 3- 50 mins

• Contexts of production for D83 (social, economic, political)
• Contexts of production for ST (social, economic, political)
• Representation in D83
• Representation in ST
• Theories that are appropriate  

Question 4- 17 mins

• All theories in reference to LFTVD

Media Questions

Paper 1

News 1:
10 marks- Language, representation theory- 15 mins

News 2:
15 marks- Forms and conventions- 25 mins

News 3:
10 marks- Audiences e.g. technology- Daily Mail and Guardian- 15 mins

News 4:
10 marks- Theory- Industry/regulation- Daily Mail and Guardian-15 mins

Music video, Big Issue, Advertising

Paper 2:

Tv Drama- 30 marks- 1 hour- Make sure i use a conclusion
Tv Drama- 10 marks

Jungle Book, Minecraft, Radio

Henry Jenkins- Fandom Theory

• Believes that fans play a key role in the media
• Distributing the product, sharing it online
• Textual Poaching- Audiences taking a media product and remaking or reworking it to create their own meaning
• Fan made content has increased due to the advances in technology 
• Identity is constructed through your fandom- participation in a community of fandom

Evaluate the usefulness of Jenkins theory to news production

Useful (does it apply to news well?)

• Fans play a huge role in spreading news via social media- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
• Fans can comment and answer back
• Citizen journalism- public can post the truth

Not Useful

• Fandom doesn't work in the same way- news consumers don't create fan communities in the same way
• Citizen journalists/public are still relatively powerless compared to the big corporations
• As an individual you can't express/influence in the same way as the big corporations

LFTVD Essay and notes

PEAL- Point, Evidence, analysis, link to the question.

Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long form television dramas from different countries. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.

In your answer you must:

• Consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed
• Explain how media contexts may have influenced different aspects of realism and audience response in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied
• Make judgements and reach conclusions about the differences in realism of social, cultural and historical circumstances between the two set episodes.

In Deutschland 83 and Stranger Things representations of social, cultural and historical events vary depending on the industry and the audience they are distributing to. These representations are gender and military/ government and helps to show the differences between long form television dramas and allows the audience to interpret these representations differently.

ST is a Netflix original that was released in July 2016 on the platform worldwide in over 190 countries simultaneously with subtitles for other countries. The episodes were released all at once to allow for binge watching with a budget of $6 million per episode. The show was created by the Duffer Brothers and the show used a main poster for advertising and released a trailer which helped to tease the audience and create a buzz about the show. For ST being a Netflix original and being released only on the platform it allowed ST to being advertised to a much larger demographic. This is an advantage for any LFTVD as it stops the show being shown all over the web and allows for more internet traffic to Netflix as the show is a key aspect in advertising Netflix's model. These industry strategies help to explain how the contexts in which LFTVD are produced and consumed. As Livingstone theory shows, Tv is regulated by OFCOM but Netflix is controlled by a company in Holland so they don't abide by UK rules. Parents regulate kids and what they see. Therefore, it makes it a lot harder to regulate.

For D83 the show was premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was released in October 2015 in the USA as it didn't succeed in Germany due to its cultural relevance of the Cold War and the division in Germany. The show became a real success in USA due to the clever advertising by Sundance Tv who focused on the Spy aspect which helped to expand the overall target market for D83's advertising. D83 was then released in January 2016 on Channel 4 in the UK with the help of the distributor Walter Presents. This was a major factor in how media contexts are produced and consumed because of the subtitles that are used on the episode. By using the older fashioned production process it allows for D83 to really be able to connect with their fans which helps influence different aspects of realism and how they audience will respond to this new romantic spy genre. The show was also the highest rated subtitled drama in the UK.

Overall for both LFTVD's the budget play a massive role of the level of production capabilities that allow ST and D83 to create effects which will enhance the filming and production of the show. With ST having a budget of $6 million per episode it allowed for the producers to create the special powers that Eleven possess along with being able to create the special effects for the demogorgon and action sequences. The producers have used props that reference the 80's to create nostalgia for the older audience. This then relates back to the question that this how they are appealing to the audience of the show and how they produce and how the audience consumes the new cinematography used on the show. In D83 they were able to have large production companies but in order to create the 80's theme they brought in help from people that were around during the Berlin Wall. They got NATO to help in sharing military tactics to help improve in creating the army aspect but also the industry spent a lot of the budget in creating the 80's nostalgia which is similar to ST. This allows for the industry to create links with the audience.

ST is a story about 4 young boys who are very nerdy and are shut out by society. They end up on a crazy Sci-Fi adventure when was one the boys mysteriously disappears. The boys are then left trying to understand the supernatural and it all links back to dungeons and dragons which is a reference to the 80's culture. It's typical of a LFTVD as it follows the theory that Todorov has which is that every drama has a specific story it follows that will consist of sudden changes or things that hinder the overall outcome. This however, refers to the boys living a normal life and the supernatural is the antagonist that ruins the happy equilibrium. This idea links to the way that audiences are influenced and consume the tv drama.

But in D83 the narrative has a more different ideology. This is the fact that in D83 the story focuses on an East German socialist ideology, seen as aspirational through the character of Martin Rauch but then reverts to stereotype e.g. harsh eastern block representations. D83 focuses on the cold war and is a culturally relevant German export. The audience experiences what life is like on both sides of the wall with the audience assuming that because in history east was seen as bad and west good, the narrative changes the audiences outlook and perspectives on the cold war. As the narrative focuses on east Germany the audience begins to feel that east is good because we see through family relationships that there is real connections and stories whether it's on the east or west. This idea links back to Todorov's narrative theory which overall shows the way in which a narrative has significance to the audience and their relationship with the drama.

In D83 gender is represented as key aspect of the show. Van Zoonen's theory of feminism is an ideology that shares the idea that gender in LFTVD's are constructed by cultural and historical context. In D83 females are represented as strong and powerful individuals. This is shown through Lenora and Anna who are strong individuals in a very oppressed life in East Germany. Lenora is a prime example as in those days women were looked down upon. However, Lenora subverts these stereotypes and is the main person in charge of Martin's mission. This shows that rather than a man being in charge she is becoming a leader and unfollowing Van Zoonen's theory of women being objectified.

But in ST it's different apart from a few anomalies. Women in ST such as Mike's mum are objectified for their bodies and personal traits rather than in D83 when they are seen as powerful individuals. But there are some powerful women in ST but they aren't introduced until the end of the episode. The main female is Eleven who with her special powers really develops into a strong character overtime. However, a character like the government agent disrupts the overall equilibrium of the story when she kills Benny and becomes power hungry. This is how D83 creates a conclusion about realism of social, cultural and historical circumstances.

In D83 military representation is a key focus in developing the story. This is due to the fact that the cold war is a key historical context within the show. Hall's reception theory shows that messages and meanings are developed and decoded by the audience. The audience will look at the how the German army is represented and will develop different opinions of whats being represented. This is created by the respect Martin has for working in the eastern army and therefore, as he is the main character the audience believes that the east were the good guys, yet in history this ideology has been proven wrong. Yet in ST the government/military are already seen as the bad guys after the first scene with scientist who end up opening the gate and releasing the supernatural into the regular world. This creates the representation of negativity surrounding the government along with images of torture and psychological effects being inflicted on Eleven. This overall shows how the audience relaxes and develops opinions to contexts.

In conclusion, i have found that audiences react to social and cultural ideologies presented by industries in different ways. Historical facts and figures set out in the two episodes shows how the industries want to connect with the audiences and therefore, leads to them developing an opinion and understanding. But overall i feel that the only way audience develop new meanings is if their views are challenged and are personal. This is shown in both episodes by the 80's nostalgia which helps in developing realism which therefore, attracts audiences and is the key reason why audiences consider watching these shows, due the ideological forms they are distributing.